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2011-08-21 - She's a Real Supergirl
Grant's side is healing well, even after he reopened it fighting the TESS robot. The one the government supposedly didn't find. He is concerned about that. That thing had primary target Captain American and secondary target Wildcat. Yes, he has reason to be concerned. Still, he is back to teaching classes, he just doesn't fight for more than a few short minutes at a time, so there is tug and strain on his healing wound, but not so much so that it reopens. He feels at his limit today, as the wound is annoyed at him, and itching. Grant is starting to close up shop when one of his boxers come stumbling into the gym. "Grant! Grant!" He looks upset and has a busted lip and some other damage on him, including ripped up clothes. "They got Billy! I managed to get away, but Billy, he couldn't!" Billy is a kid that is trying to escape the gang life, something the gangs don't like. Grant is quick out the door, knowing he wouldn't have time to get into his Wildcat uniform, call for back-up, or anything, if he wants to save his pupil's life. "Lead the way Rob!" Rob hurries as best he can to lead Grant, explaining on the way. When Grant figures it out, he takes off past Rob, running hard as he can. He ignores the wound. He may not have some special pain tolerance ability, but he has experience as a superhero and a World Champion boxer to push his way through the pain. He skids to a halt at the old parking lot, now empty of the riff raff that hangs there, a fine sheen of sweat on his face. He ran hard and fast for a good three minutes, and he got there in time. Billy is still alive, but not much longer by the look of things. "Let him go," Grant growls out with a lot of pent up rage as he starts to march forward with violence vibrating in every limb. A gangster is holding Billy up, an arm under each of his and up over his shoulders to keep him pinned. Billy's face is barely recognizable it is so beaten up, and he isn't exactly the most conscious. There are seven other gangsters, not including the one holding Billy. They just laugh when they see Grant, "Look, old man boxer came to save his star boxer! No one leaves the family old man," the one speak sneers. Another speaks up, pulling a gun out and waving it about, "Ya old man. And we know how hot to trot you are with those fists," and soon the gun is pointed at Grant, but he doesn't look to be slowing. "You better stop old man, or I'll blow you away!" How stupid is this old man?! Is he trying to get himself killed?! From a few miles away, Kara Zor-El heard the sounds of distress. There's a lot of that going around in certain parts of this crazy city she now lives in. She's learning how to distinguish real trouble from false trouble. The difference between lives at stake and some rich heiress breaking a nail. And what she hears... yes, that's the real deal. Her cape flaps behind her as she abruptly alters course to intercept, pushing her speed so that by the time she arrives on the scene of the gangsters and plants herself firmly in the line of fire, the sound of her arrival is like a small clap of thunder. Not quite a sonic boom, because she didn't break the sound barrier, but the air disturbed should cause some issue with anyone wanting to keep their hair and clothes unmussed. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size, huh?" she demands, a phrase she's heard time and again in the city since she'd taken Superboy's advice and started listening in on the people. Grant suddenly pulls up to a halt behind a very, tightly clad, he glances down before the cape covers your...he then shakes his head. No time for that! "Honey, you are half my size," Grant says from behind Kara. "Not that I mind the view." Yes, he went there. The gangster blinks, and looks a bit nervous at seeing Supergirl, but then laughs, "What the hell, she's no Wildcat. She's just a girl!" And Grant behind Kara comments, "Damn, they are stupid. They don't know the girls I do." There is anger in his tone at the gangster, but he's restraining himself for now. He is also thinking more clearly with the interruption. He leans down, using the cape for cover as he picks up a chunk of blacktop. He gets a good grip on it. At least he knows as Wildcat he is leaving an impression in Hobb's Bay. Kara Zor-El's cape thankfully is long enough to go well past her... ahem. She's completely unaware of the ogling, more intend on sizing up the opposition with the notion of having to keep the older gentleman safe from harm. She focuses her gaze on the obvious weapon, and bright red light zips out of her eyes, heat vision at its finest. "I'm not 'just' anything," she replies to the leader of the gangsters calmly. "Especially a pack of bullies picking on others. It really took seven to handle one? Really?" The scorn in her voice is deep. The gang member holding the gun blinks, and then yelps in a delayed reaction as he drops the melting gun to the broken asphat of the abondoned parking lot. His hand is slightly burnt from the heat, but nothing too terribly bad. The eight gang members look at Kara in horror, and the one holding the beaten kid up says in a shaky voice, "I heard of that Superboy you know..." They haven't let go yet, and Grant isn't giving them time to think about it. He comes out from the side - from behind Kara - and throws the chunk of asphat he has right to the guy holding Billy up, knocking him one right in the face. The gangster drops Billy fast and crys out, holding his hands up to his now bloody nose. "Fear isn't enough for cowards like this," Grant growls out as he actually runs forward past Kara and does a move that is more dramatic than he normally does. Showing off for the girl much is he? He leaps into the air, and performs a spin kick at one of the front gangster's head, sending him flying toward the broken blacktop. A flash of lightning crosses the dark, cloudy Hobb's Bay sky in the oppessive heat. Revealing a brighter image of one very pissed off, rough looking face of Ted Grant, his teeth bared, and muscles bulging visible, even though he is wearing non-descriptive grey sweats. He must have ran hard and fast from the gym to get here, it's about closing time for Grant's Gym. Four of the gang members go to run for it, the one with the broken nose and the one that suffered from the kick haven't recovered yet. The other two? They are going for guns, one to shoot at Grant, and one to shoot at Kara. Guess they haven't guessed that Kara would be immune to bullets like Superboy. See what being uneducated does to you? "Yeah, he's family," Kara retorts sharply even as Ted takes out that guy. The exact relationship isn't really solidified in her head yet, so being vague is good enough for now. And then she just kinda stares at Ted and his whirling kicky thing and... "Wow. Pretty cool." A flash of lightning illuminates the guns being drawn. "Hey now, stop that!" And she leaps over to them with a single bound and interposes herself between the shooters and the intended victims, reaching for the guns with the intent of crushing them. Clark was just stepping out of a subway exit in Hobbs Bay when he heard the sounds of a scuffle. Of course, with the many other fights happening in the city, its not until he gets closer to Grant's Gym, his intended destination, that he realizes that this one is more than a pair of teenagers fighting over a girl or a television left on too loud. Frowning, he pauses the message he'd been listening to on his phone and slips into an alley, taking to the rooftops as soon as he is certain no one is watching. He drops down just around the corner from the fight, and peers carefully around as the lightning fades from the sky. Taking in the action ahead, his only reaction for now is to pause, going very still, his eyes widening as he takes in the sight of a familiar looking symbol. Grant moves with the skills and speed of a professional fighter. He will feel the pain later from his still healing wound, and the influence it has on his actions are minute at this point. Just watch him try to walk back to the gym later though. He sees from the corner of his blue eyes as the guns are crushed, and he draws in a sharp breath, but doesn't stop moving. Even as he lands from his spin kick, he drops down low and sweeps out a kick that he has used on many people to test them, tripping the guy with the bloody nose. The gangster flails as he goes down, and grunts when his head impacts...he is out cold. Grant the yells out, "Get those running away! I'll handle these two losers!" His words are perhaps surprising commanding, and he is referring to the two now weaponless men. These gangsters hurt his pupil Billy, and it will be a pain to hunt them down later as Wildcat...he wants them to pay now. The fact Grant just accepts the woman's presence may seem strange to most, but he doesn't think twice about it, even though he hasn't seen her chest yet, only her nice little...cape covered rear. Kara responds to the sharp crack of command in Ted's voice, leaping up off the ground and using her swift flight to go after the four guys that fled the scene. She hasn't learned yet how to skim the ground and pick up four guys at once... she's got the strength, but holding up four guys in two hands? Difficult at best, and her course isn't as sharp as it might be with some training in how to be more efficient at such things. However, in short order, she's got all four men by the collar (literally), holding them aloft, far too high to risk wriggling out of their shirts unless they were crazy. "You all right down there, sir?" she calls down to Ted, completely unaware how quite insufferably rude it might seem to 'show off' like that, not that she was trying to show off. Clark watches long enough to see the display of abilities shown by both Ted and the girl helping him, before stepping out into view. "Wow." His smile is impressed, his head ducked and his tone a strange mixture of surprise and something harder to identify, "That's pretty amazing, Mr. Grant. Do you need someone to call the authorities for you? And maybe you could introduce me to your friend, here?" Grant is already moving as soon as Kara gets out of the way - and of course by that point she is already across the parking lot and have caught up to the gangsters - moving to grip one of the gangster's arms as they drop the crushed gun, and throw him over his good side into the other gangster. He goes down with them, not because of being pulled, but willingly so that he can start beating their faces in. It only takes a handful of heavy punches on each face to leave them whimpering and cowering on the ground, trying to cover their faces with their hands. Only then does Grant stand up, breathing heavily then he normally does, "No," he says, and glares up at the other men. "Can you restrain them for the cops?" And that is when he notices the symbol on Kara's chest, "An S...," but he shakes his head and goes to see a groaning Billy, moving to help pick him up, a grimase of pain crossing his own face as his own wound's aching catches up to him. "Hey Kid...you are safe now..." Billy can't talk, he is so badly battered. But Grant's head then whips around to see Clark approaching, looking between him and Kara, his expression mostly unreadable before he nods toward Clark. "If you could Mr. Kent, I would appreciate it." An arm remains wrapped about Billy's shoulder as he keeps the kid sitting up, but knows he can't rise, and Grant doesn't know if he can fully support the kid right now with the pain tinges in his side....he stays down on one knee. Kara Zor-El nods down to Ted and lowers her captives to the ground near a street light. Before they can run (but not before one of them has wet himself), she uproots the street light and almost casually wraps the metal around them, the metal screeching a bit with the stresses placed upon it, until all four guys are knotted up neatly. Whimsically, Kara leaves the ends of the lamp tied into a little bow. And that's when she spots... "You know each other?" she asks curiously, a hesitant smile upon her face, but definitely a look of recognition there. To Ted, she adds, "I met Mr. Kent a few months ago, at the Daily Planet. It's, um, nice to see you again, I guess?" she says a bit nervously, but then she frowns when she looks more closely at Ted. "You're hurt..." Clark is taking out his phone the moment he sees Billy, just a half a second before he hears Ted's answer. Nodding as he dials, he smiles at Kara while waiting, still not recognising her while he focuses on the call, "Um, hi, I think you might want to have someone check out __ street in Hobb's Bay. I think there was a fight, I'm pretty sure I saw a gun." He glances back at the street to give a more exact address, along with an alias, then hangs up and turns back to the pair, looking at Kara when he catches his name. Again, his eyes widen, and this time he smiles as well, "Of course. I should have guessed it was you, sorry I didn't realize sooner." He turns to Ted then, glancing at the boy, "Will he need an ambulance? They should be sending one, unless you think we can help him at the Gym?" Grant was working hard at hiding it, and the fact Kara caught it without knowing him? Impressive. "Old wound," He says, and doesn't encourage more questions right now. "I'm much more concerned about Billy," and the kid does look very badly beaten up. Hospitialization? Highly likely, how about a definate? "He will need a hospital...a beating like this...he will be lucky not to have to eat through a straw." Billy finally manages to say something through his battered lips, "Tha...nk...you....," a hand moving to grip Grant's arm. Someone in Grant finally seems to release, and he smiles a bit. "Rob came to tell me what was going on. Grant's Gym is always there for you kid, and don't you forget it." Billy nods with difficulty and looks over to Kara. He tries to smile, but it fails. His eyes are already swelling shut, so he can't get a good luck at the girl in white and red. "I'll stay with him," Grant says, "and deal with the police." He then looks over at Kara, "Thanks for your help lady," and he cracks another smile. "Next time, I'll have to take more time to admire you while you are working. But why don't you leave with Clark here before the cops arrive. I don't want you to get in trouble, but stop by Grant's Gym anytime. Consider yourself welcomed." "If he needs a hospital... and you do too," Kara protests, "I can fly you both to whichever one you want and get you there in just a few minutes. I can carry you both, easy as pie... cake, whatever you humans call it. The round thingy with the frosting. I'm not worried about getting in trouble, it's far more important that you two get medical treatment right away." She looks away to Clark, gesturing for him to chime in any time on this matter. He was reasonable when they'd last spoken, even if he hadn't made much sense at the time. Clark steps forward, bending to get a better look at Billy and in doing so also get a glance at Ted's wound. "I think you'll live, though we may be short a world-class trainer while you get yourself up to full strength, since we don't want this kind of thing happening again." He glances at Ted meaningfully while he says this, then turns again to Billy. There's a nod, before he agrees with Kara, "Yeah, why don't you go ahead and take them? I'll make sure no one gets away before the cops come. And if you're free after you get them there, would you like to meet me back here afterwards?" He looks back to the girl, "I'd like to catch up, see what you've been doing since I saw you last." Humans? "Well, least you didn't say mortals," Grant says quietly in a grumble. Sirens are heard closing in. Grant snorts at Clark, "Give me a day or two, I'll be back in class," though not in the Wildcat suit. The bullet wound was a gaze and it is healing...but he keeps doing bad stuff to make it mad at him. Silly Grant. "Fine, take Billy and me to the hosptial, and Clark, let the cops know which one." He then says directly to Kara, "You kid? Mouth shut about my wound, I'm handling it, and it's healing. I don't want it on record." He doesn't think to explain that gunshot wounds need reported to the police, which doesn't help Kara understand why at all. "But, we will accept your help, if you are able to carry us both securely. I don't want to leave Billy alone." He adds to Clark, "Hey, my gym needs locked up. If you want, you can speak with the Super girl there, I don't mind. I'll be a while at the hospital, and Cass isn't home right now. It will give you guys some privacy." Obviously, there is trust between Grant and Clark. Kara Zor-El gives Ted a rather confused look at his insistance that she ixnays on his oundway. With a shrug, she agrees, but her dubious look makes it clear she doesn't think this is the most brilliant thing Ted Grant has ever said or done in her limited experience with him. "I'll be back," she promises Clark as she then easily but surprisingly gently hoists her two new charges, one in each arm, up into the air. And she's completely oblivious to the fact that Ted is probably going to immensely enjoy both the view and the closeness to the girl of steel. Mindful that they're not protected against wind or other such things as she flies them to the hospital, she keeps her speed reasonably sedate, considering. Once she deposits Ted and Billy at their hospital of choice, she ignores anyone trying to flag her down to ask questions or anything and simply flies away, back to the scene of the incident, seeking that weird reporter she'd met ages ago. The cops arrive not long after Kara leaves, and Clark stays just long enough to make sure Ted's wishes are carried out and that the gang members all taken into custody before stepping out onto the street, out of the way of the crime scene, to wait for Kara. He keeps his eyes on the skies, and when he sees her he simply turns and heads for the Gym, believeing she should be able to see him as easily as he can her. He stops just outside the main entrance to wait for her, jotting a few notes on a notepad and smiling to himself. Kara Zor-El slows down as she passes the scene of the incident, swarming with NYPD's finest, and then heads for this Gym that was mentioned, quickly locating it and the person standing in front of it, the reporter. With a swish of her red cape, Kara heads in that direction and alights next to him. "Why did you want to talk to me?" she asks him without preamble. "Last time we talked, you were pretty clear that I should go looking elsewhere for any answers about things." Clark sighs, looking down for a minute. "Come inside." He says after a pause, "You probably shouldn't be seen dressed like that so close to a crime scene." He pushes the door open and steps in, giving her space to follow if she is willing, "Things have changed for me since I saw you last. If you're willing to listen, I'd like to tell you about them." "Dressed like this?" she asks, looking down briefly at her clothes. "Superboy said he was gonna help me get some clothes like you humans wear, I mean, more than the few changes I have now, but when I'm out there trying to help people," she continues, stepping into the Gym, most definitely not afraid of anything nefarious happening, "I should wear something like this, so I can hide and pretend to be something else when I'm not out helping people." Clearly a concept she still doesn't agree with. And then she squints at Clark. "Changes for you? You're a reporter, what changed for you, a promotion to a bigger desk or even an office?" She totally bought his cover story, gullible little girl. "Why should I care what's changed? You blew me off, Mr. Kent, didn't exactly seem to want to talk to me then, so what's the big deal?" Clark closes the door behind Kara, and blinks at her. "So then you... well. You and superboy must have gotten along pretty well, then." Grinning suddenly, he turns and finds himself a ench to sit on. "Tell me, did Superboy tell you anything about Superman?" He looks up at her as he asks, waiting curiously for her answer. Kara Zor-El nods. "We did... he actually mentioned you as someone he knew, but didn't really say much about... Superman, whoever that is." She seems a bit impatient with what's going on around her for the moment, but determined to find out just what's on his mind. "We got interrupted by a Kryptonian criminal named Ursa... apparently she'd met him too and was trying to fill his head with garbage about what she and General Zod had done on Krypton... only she didn't reckon with the fact that I'm Kryptonian too, as you know, and my uncle Jor-El had imprisoned her, Zod, and Non in the Phantom Zone. So I saw through her lies and warned Superboy about her. She's dangerous, I've never heard of or met anyone more vicious and evil and cruel as her." Clark looks down again the moment Kara mentions Jor-El. "Ursa." He says quietly, "I see. And I haven't had the chance yet to tell him about Kal-El, so of course you wouldn't know that, either." Changing his tone, looking up and speaking less softly, he adds, "Thank you for helping him out. He's a good friend of mine, and I worry that his naivete will get him into trouble." He grins a little. "You didn't bat an eye when I mentioned the name Kal-El the first time we met," Kara replies suspiciously, pacing back and forth, but never letting this reporter out of her sight. "Have you found my cousin? I've been looking all over this forsaken /planet/ and I haven't found him yet. How'm I supposed to teach someone if I. can't. find. him." By now, she's gotten herself pretty riled up, because she's been sooooo frustrated by her search and his stonewalling her the last time they met. Clark sighs once more. "I'm sorry, Kara. The last time we met, I was not able to tell you everything. I had an arrangement with the government of this planet." As he speaks, he stands. And when he does so, he stands taller than he had before he sat down. No longer is he hunching his shoulders, or ducking his head. As he finishes speaking, he removes the glasses from his face and sets them aside, then loosens his tie and starts unbuttoning his shirt. "Part of the arrangement was that I not reveal my identity to anyone. Also, the information I have access to does not always tell me everything, I could not be sure you were who you said you were rather than another like Ursa." As he finishes speaking, he finishes unbuttoning his shirt and pulls it open to reveal the red and blue uniform and large silver 'S' symbol that have been hiding underneath. Kara Zor-El stops when he begins speaking, and even her mad-on is paused as her brain processes the changes to his stance, his whole bearing. The mask just came off, and he's... unbuttoning... oh. Her eyes go wide as saucers when she spies the S. Similar to the one she wears, the one she saw Superboy wearing, only in silver. "You... you're..." The words fail her, and she takes a few steps back. "You're one of us... a member of the House of El." Her brain hasn't quite connected the dots yet. "Who are you?" "Kara." Clark looks the young woman in the eye, both his tone and expression now quite serious, "I am Kal-El. I have been living on Earth as Clark Kent since I arrived here, and through my agreement with the government have been acting as Superman for the people of this country and this planet. I am sorry to have angered you at our last meeting, I hope you will be willing to forgive me for my actions." Kara Zor-El isn't sure whether to be relieved that her search is finally over or distressed that now she has no reason to be here. Her expression is one of being ever so torn, and tears well up in her eyes. As she tries to wipe her eyes with the blue sleeve of her top, she asks in a little-girl voice, "So what do I do now?" She tries to explain with, "No one ever planned what was gonna happen when you got old enough to not need me to teach you anything... I was supposed to have gotten here first anyway... what do I do?" Clark's expression changes instantly. His face softens as he reaches out hesitantly, aiming to place a hand on her shoulder. He takes a minute before speaking, as unsure as any Human what he should do with a crying girl. "Kara, don't cry. Who said you don't need to teach me anything? And who ever said you couldn't have a purpose of your own aside from being my teacher? You can't know what it means to me, to simply have a family member here. It took everything I had to send you away before, to tell myself you could be lying about who you were, a trick to get me to reveal my identity." Gently, he tries to pull her toward the bench to sit down. There aren't many people who can get a Kryptonian to move. Clark has the strength to do it... but he doesn't need it. Kara lets herself be guided to the bench and plops down on it, shoulders hunched, blue eyes on the floor, hands wringing on her knees. "I was supposed to teach you how to fit in and to live amongst these crazy and brave and foolish and whatever else humans... only... you obviously know how and I don't... and my father had so much on his mind... of course he didn't have the attention to spend on it. I was supposed to teach you, that's all. And they don't like people being helped around here... what is /wrong/ with these people?" "Fear." Is Clark's simple answer. Sitting down beside his cousin, he gives her a sad smile, "The people here have been taught to fear, and that fear has been exploited for far too long. But that is a long conversation, probably best saved for another day. For now, maybe, you could consider teaching me about Krypton insead of Earth? I'd be happy to show you around here, and to tell you what I've learned about the people. And I'd really like to hear more about your father. And mine, if you remember him." Longing heavily tints his tone as he speaks, and its with an effort that he doesn't start pelting her with questions like a child would. Kara Zor-El considers the notion of fear and it being exploited. "Our fathers were accused of fearmongering on Krypton," she begins slowly, linking the two planets in more than one way. "I didn't know my uncle... your father... very well. He was kind to me the few times we actually spoke, but like my father, always so busy. Both of them were very well respected by most everyone on Krypton." She glances over at Clark... Kal... whatever... and notices that longing. "They tried to save everyone, but despite all the respect people had for their accomplishments, no one wanted to believe Krypton would be destroyed." Clark nods, swallowing before he speaks. "Thanks you." He says with feeling, reaching down to clasp one of his cousin's hands tightly. "You've just given me a great gift." He smiles warmly, gives her hand one more squeeze then releases it and sits back to button his shirt back up, "If there is anything I can do to repay it, I hope you'll tell me. Have you... found an Earth name for yourself yet?" Kara Zor-El musters a little bit of a weak smile. "No, I haven't... Superboy said I should get one... and it seems that it's like now I have to have three names... my real one, a nickname for when I'm wearing this," she says, tugging on the golden hem of her red cape with her free hand, "and now an Earth name. It seems kind of a shame to make a point of hiding our real names." "A shame, yeah." Clark agrees, "But a necessary one. For me, it allows those Humans who are close to me not to become targets. My... my parents, the people who raised me here, they are safe from the likes of Ursa and Zod as long as my Kryptonian name remains safe. As for a nickname," He grins, looking more like the reporter from earlier, "I think Ted gave you a pretty good one, when he called you Super Girl. If you like it, I think it could fit really well." Kara Zor-El grimaces at the mention of Ursa and Zod. "I don't really have anyone here I'm close to. Yet," she amends, flashing a brief smile to her cousin. "But... if you're Superman, and there's a Superboy, and you're older than I am, I guess... I'll be Supergirl." And then she adds impudently, "I'm definitely the best-looking of the lot of us, of course..." Clark laughs, "I'll say! Just be careful with those comments around Superboy, he's likely to agree far more enthusiastically than I! And warbird... well, if you offend her she's probably more likely to try to punch you in the face than argue. But.. oh!" Remembering something, he turns to her eagerly, "I'm taking them to meet my parents, and to the place where I keep what I know about Krypton. You should come with us!" Kara Zor-El doesn't know who Warbird is, at least, Superboy never mentioned her. "Who?" she asks blankly, even as Clark mentions his parents. "Wait... Kal... your parents... they stayed on Krypton... So did mine. They're gone. It's only us and those damned criminals, as far as I know." Clark smiles sadly, "Did you meet Matrix? She's going by warbird now. And my parents, they are the people who found me when I arrived here. They adopted me, and raised me. They're probably the most amazing Humans on Earth, and I think you'll like them. And they know who I am. It was they who hepled me to learn to live here, who taught me as well as they could how to balance living as a Human with my Kryptonian abilities. And I think they would be glad to know I was not the only one who survived. As I am." Kara Zor-El is silent for a few moments as she takes this information in. She shakes her head, the names Matrix and Warbird meaning nothing to her. But the stories of Clark's adopted parents give her pause. "I think... I think I'd like to meet them," she admits quietly. "I mean, don't get me wrong, Superboy is really cool and all... but he seems to think this is one big game or something, like it's all supposed to just be fun, and you and I both know it's not. I think I'd like to get to know some regular humans, the people we're supposed to be setting an example for. Well, /you/ are... I guess I can try to do that too, but I wasn't supposed to." "Don't worry. You'll find a purpose here. And as you can see, I already share mine with many others here on this planet. Superboy will need a lot of help, I would be glad if you would help me teach him. He, too, struggles with his purpose. Of course, the first thing we should probably do is find you a Human identity. You'll need a name, a place to live if you don't have one, and probably a job." "All things Superboy said I should have..." Kara points out. "Well, he didn't mention the job thing... and I did offer to teach him Kryptonian. And I think he wants to take my spaceship for a test drive, but I wouldn't let him until I knew he was competent in its use." Yes, she did just say spaceship. Clark grins, and even starts to laugh, then comes to a kind of awkward sputtering halt. "Y-your spaceship. You mean... " He takes a breath, "Mine was... well even if it did work, it wasn't really adult-sized. That's... that's probably for the best, I don't know if he has any flying skills yet. He could learn them fast though, if you taught him." Still looking and sounding surprised, he chuckles a little at the thought of flying a spaceship. Kara Zor-El smiles a bit. "I didn't get to fly it much on the way here, it was set on autopilot, and I was in suspended animation... you see, I got caught in the destruction of Krypton... the ship is fine, though. It's only big enough for one, an actual pilot, rather than an infant like I remember you being." And then her smile widens a great deal. "You were soooooo cute as a baby too. All gurgly and drooling on things..." Clark nods and listens, his cheeks turning a little pink as Kara mentions his baby-self. "Well, uh, thanks." He says, running a hand through his hair self-consiously, "Sorry I had to grow up so fast on you. Thoug, um, I'm sure my mom will be more than happy to swap baby stories with you." Does he look embarassed at this possibility? You bet. But there's a certain happiness to him all the same. Kara Zor-El seems to have struck a chord, and her grin is nothing short of impudent, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Finally. Finally, this is the moment she was waiting for, when she felt like she could have a place here, on this planet, with the one person still living who held so much meaning in her young life. "So... I guess I still need a name and a job and a place to live... I suppose... I remember my instructions about knowledge. Father was /very/ particular about not suddenly revolutionizing human science overnight." And her grin fades as she considers what she could do to help. "All this hiding and sneaking around and pretending not to know what we know. It's weird... trying to be an example of what's good and decent... and yet lying to everyone we know. Isn't that a bit hypocritical?" Clark sobers, sighing once more. "It can feel that way, some days." He replies, "Its hardest sometimes with my coworkers, some of them are really interested in the heroes, and they're good people. Sometimes I want to tell them everything. I just try to remember that their safety is the most important thing. Also, now that I no longer have to hide as Superman, I hope to help them find a way to be more accepting of all Metahumans, so that none of us feels like we have to hide any more. There was a time when heroes weren't feared as they are today, and I think its possible we could return to that, if we work hard at it." "So what kind of name should I have?" Kara asks musingly. "And what sort of job? It would need to be one that won't fire me the first time I have to duck out to help someone... aren't there times when you /know/ you can save someone's life but you can't because your boss is talking to you or something?" Clark nods, "Every single day. But its one of the reasons I have a job that allows me to leave whenever I need to. I spend a lot of time away from the office, out getting stories. You could do something similar, delivery is also good, you'd be out most of the time, and with your speed would have time to spare to do whatever you needed to. As for a name... if having three is too confusing, you could use Kara, it wouldn't stand out too much here. And if you want to tell people we're cousins, you could use Kent. Or maybe my mom's maiden name, if you want." Kara Zor-El thinks about this for a few moments. "Kara Kent..." And then she smiles a little bit. "Like that reporter that's always on the news. Lois Lane. Same first letters in each name, four letters each. Very strange, names. But yeah, I think that'll be fine. And that way, I won't have to remember which name I'm supposed to be using a third of the time," she adds, satisfied with this choice. "A reporter? I couldn't do that," she considers the job aspect of things. I mean, you know how things are, having grown up here, but I don't... someone's sure to catch on. Delivery might be good. Is it good enough to make sure I can actually support all these clothes that people think I should be wearing and a place to live? It still seems very strange to me to pay to live somewhere." "You might have to have more than one job, to live in the city." Clark replies. He started smiling when Kara accepted the name, and chuckled a little at the mention of Lois. "You might work as a bike messenger, they still use them for some things where paper is needed or people can't afford the technology to send it other ways yet. I'll check out the Planet's job listings, and after work tomorrow I can show you a few other places in the city to look for job postings. Do you have a phone yet? And... where have you been staying?" Kara Zor-El shrugs a shoulder. "Superboy said he'd hook me up with something called a pre-paid cellphone, but I've got a couple of comlinks in my ship we could use. The're a lot more... inconspicuous," she says, that mad grin appearing for a moment when she considers oh the irony. "And free. And... I've been staying wherever. There are a shocking number of places someone without a home can stay in this country and in fact all over the world. When I was out looking for you, sometimes I'd just fly to someplace out in the woods somewhere and bunk down. It's not like any of the animals on this planet could hurt me." Clark chuckles. "True... though, uh, if you'd rather stay somewhere in town, you could always crash with me until we find you something better. My aparrment isn't much, but you're welcome to it if you need it. I could probably show you a little more about the city that way." Kara Zor-El's face brightens up at that. "That'd be awesome. I also crashed occasionally in the ship, because it's familiar and people don't mess with it. I keep it hidden, but I can show it to you if you want!" She seems actually a bit enthusiastic to get to show off this remnant of Kryptonian science and engineering. Clark's own smile is just as bright as Kara's, "I'd love that. Just let me know when, I'll be there." He glances around, "We should lock up, though, and head back. I do have to report in in the morning before I start work, and Ted wanted this place locked. I'll get us something to eat on the way. Another great thing about my place, some of the best burgers in New York are served just around the corner." Kara Zor-El beams. "Burgers are one of the /best/ inventions of this planet," she enthuses. "With cheese and ketchup and BACON on them! Maybe even lettuce and mayo, but /definitely/ bacon. I don't know where it comes from, I don't care, I just LIKE it." And she grins cheerfully and bounces to her feet, so happy that she actually doesn't touch ground, twirling around and around and practically wrapping herself up in her cape. "This is gonna be /so/ cool!" Laughing, Clark switches off hte lights and locks the doors to the Gym, then leads the way out. "Glad to see we have so much in common." He says with a grin. "I'll see if I can bring you a couple more outfits while I'm out tomorrow, too. And I'll call Warbird. Her story is... strange, I'll fill you in when we get back. But she can probably help you with some of the important things about being, uh... a Human female." He blushes a little, uncertain with this topic, as he ducks into an alley to take flight. Category:Logs